Toxic Cultures: A Companion

348 Pages·2022·18.802 MB·English

by  Simon Bacon (editor)

Toxic C ultures
Genre Fiction and Film Companions
Series Editor: Simon Bacon
TO

X
IC
C U L T U R E S
A Companion
Edited by Simon Bacon
PETER LANG
Oxford • Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • New York • Wien
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Die Deutsche
Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed
bibliographic data is available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bacon, Simon, 1965- editor.
Title: Toxic cultures : a companion / Simon Bacon, [editor]
Description: Oxford : New York : Peter Lang, 2022. | Series: Genre fiction
and film companions, 2631-8725 ; vol. 8 | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021017993 (print) | LCCN 2021017994 (ebook) | ISBN
9781789979534 (paperback) | ISBN 9781789979541 (ebook) | ISBN
9781789979558 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Popular culture--21st century. | Mass media and culture. |
Popular culture--Social aspects.
Classification: LCC HM621 .T689 2022 (print) | LCC HM621 (ebook) | DDC
302.23--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021017993
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021017994
Cover design by Brian Melville for Peter Lang.
ISSN 2631-8725
ISBN 978-1-78997-953-4 (print)
ISBN 978-1-78997-954-1 (ePDF)
ISBN 978-1-78997-955-8 (ePUB)
© Peter Lang Group AG 2022
Published by Peter Lang Ltd, International Academic Publishers,
Oxford, United Kingdom
[email protected], www.peterlang.com
Simon Bacon has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Editor of this Work.
All rights reserved.
All parts of this publication are protected by copyright.
Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without
the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution.
This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming,
and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Simon Bacon
Introduction 1
Patricia MacCormack
Prologue: From Toxic Humanity to Ahumanity 17
Part I Foundations
Carl Wilson
Bioshock, 2K Games (2007) – Toxicity and Contagion 27
Louis Bayman
Chernobyl, Craig Mazin (2019) – Toxic History 35
Kyle Moody
Succession, Jesse Armstrong (2018– present) – Toxic Ideology 45
Natalie Wilson
Get Out, Jordan Peele (2017) – Toxic Whiteness 53
Franziska E. Kohlt
The Coronavirus Act (2020), UK Government Communication
(March 2020–present) – Toxic Language 63
vi Contents
Daniel Sheppard
Halloween, David Gordon Green (2018) – Toxic Nostalgia 71
Part II Sexuality and Gender
Cynthia Jones
Cinderella, Kenneth Branagh (2015) – Toxic Fairy Tales 81
Erin Giannini
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon (1997– 2003) – Toxic
Masculinity 91
Paula Ashe
Pussyhat Movement (2017– Present) – Toxic Feminism 99
Callie Graham
Crazy Ex- Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna
(2015– 2019) – Toxic Relationships 107
Ildikó Limpár
Wayward Children Series, Seanan McGuire (2016– Present) – Toxic
Parenting 119
Part III Popular Culture
Pembe Gözde Erdogan
Gelin Evi [Bride’s House], Cem Semercioglu (2015– 2019) – Toxic
Television 131
Contents vii

Mateusz Świetlicki
‘Toxic’, Britney Spears (2003) – Toxic Music 141
Cathleen Allyn Conway
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, Paul Feig (2016) – Toxic Franchises
and Misogyny 149
Debaditya Mukhopadhyay
Kabir Singh, Sandeep Reddy Vanga (2019) – Toxic Criticism 161
Bethan Jones
Star Wars Episodes VII– IX, Various (2015– 2019) – Toxic Fandom
and Racism 171
Part IV Society
Melody Blackmore
Paradise Hills, Alice Waddington (2019) – Toxic Positivity 183
Ken Monteith
‘Sadfishing’ (2019– Present) – Toxic Social Media 191
Jay Daniel Thompson
Troll Hunting, Ginger Gorman (2019) – Toxicity and Trolling 201
Madeline Muntersbjorn
‘The Denialist Playbook’, Sean Carroll (2020) – Toxic Denialism 209
viii Contents
Deborah G. Christie
‘Title X Gag Rule’ (2019– Present) – Toxic Censorship 217
Part V Humanity
Martyn Colebrook
The City & the City, China Miéville (2009) – Toxic Cities 227
Phil Fitzsimmons and Edie Lanphar
Brimstone, Martin Koolhoven (2016) – Toxic Education 235
Blake I. Collier
Martyrs, Pascal Laugier (2008) – Toxic Fundamentalism 243
Tom Ue and Alexander Wills
Parasite, Bong Joon Ho (2019) – Toxic Economies 253
Rebecca Booth
The Last Winter, Larry Fessenden (2006) – Toxic Ecologies 261
Elana Gomel
Bird Box, Josh Malerman (2014) – Toxic Futures 269
Helen Gavin
Epilogue: Toxicity and Positivity 277
Bibliography 285
Notes on Contributors 321
Index 329